League of Highlaw
In the Aeon of the Champion ''story series, the '''League of Highlaw '''was the international alliance of races in the Eastern Kingdoms that formed in response to the occupation of Dinith. It was made up of the human kingdoms of Laudrin, Grevalon (including Commoncrown) and Forgil, the southern clans of Sherwood, the island nation of Midrule and the free denizens of Avantia and Phoenixgarde. Other key members of the League were the high elves of Quel'thalas, the Ironwill and Brighthammer clans of Kha'Zad, as well as the gnomes of Tinkerville. Lastly, all signatories of the League had the spiritual support of the Order of the Holy Light. Origins and foundation Origins In the aftermath of the First Earth War that shook Avantia and Phoenixgarde, the survivors fled to the spacious continent of Laudrin. In the days following the fall of the two kingdoms, very few people knew what to do immediately. The orcs were a major threat, and other invasions could soon follow. Indeed, Coletta le Fey - the insider mastermind of the invasion - was determined to spread the terror to other human civilisation, namely Grevalon, where she aimed to destroy the ruling mage class and replace their arrogant, over-softened society with one fashioned in her own image. The Highlaw Convention Knowing what this could entail for the other kingdoms in the region, as well as moved by the loss of her brother Kaarlo during the war, Princess Silana Atherton of Grevalon badgered Lord Spalding into securing an audience with the kings of the other six nations. The ruling Houses initially did not think much of her at all, given her age - she was only 21 at the time - and this subtracted from the reception of her message. Her speech lost effectiveness extremely early on, and Belvazad Coldstream - Royal Chamberlain to House Roulet of Laudrin - openly mocked her by questioning the right of a 'little girl' to address the leaders of great nations, and then made a crude comment about Silana herself to the laughter of the courtiers. Humiliated and furious, the princess abruptly left the room in a huff, refusing to address the court. It seemed as if this was to be the conclusion of affairs, with the courtiers left to wonder among themselves just how Silana saw herself as fit to lead an alliance when she couldn't even control her emotions. This lasted until Coldstream was rebuffed by the High Clerist of the Light, Indira Lightshield herself, for his cruel remarks. The High Clerist then left the hall to console the princess, and after doing so, returned with Silana following closely behind. The Princess reinvigorated, she reiterated her calls for a strong alliance between the nations to push back the orcish threat, and concluded to a rapturous applause. The decision was made in that instant, and the ''League of Highlaw ''founded, after the city it was created in - the capital city of Laudrin. Others join in Eventually, other races - also fearing orcish oppression - decided to enter the alliance. King Merridan Dawndancer, ruler of Quel'thalas, signed the high elves to the League. They had been on friendly terms with the humans since the Elf-Troll Wars, and many elves felt they owed the humans a favour. The A'manu wood elves of Sherwood also allied with the League, as Archdruidess Verdana belived that the orcs and ogres posed a significant threat to Middle-Earth's ecosystem, as the New Brotherhood were mining elementals for the Chaos God Cxuirva. The dwarves of Ironforge and Aerie Peak also joined the League in the year 7 AGY, fearing Prarvian raids on their strongholds in the aftermath of War of the Three Hammers in the -700s. A few Ceruleans also entered the war effort, though the official position was neutrality. Organisation The Alliance '''Kingdom of Laudrin '- the spiritual backbone of the League of Highlaw, led by the devoutly religious King Reamonn Roulet. The home kingdom of the Order of the Holy Light, its priesthood - upheld by House Lightshield - was a major player in the alliance, and King Reamonn himself was a staunch supporter of racial cooperation. 'Kingdom of Forgil '- its philosophy was in stark contrast to Laudrin's. Forgil's people prided themselves on military might and sheer strength, and its advanced armies were central to the tactical prowess of the League. They were led by the warrior-king Delane Hermenion, whose own son - Prince Rodrick - was a knight who fought in the First Earth War. 'Principality of Grevalon '- the arcane force behind the League, led by Princess Silana Atherton (head of state) and Grand Archmage Lamont Spellthorne (head of government). The Knights of Magecrown were reformed under Spellthorne, turning them into the royal bodyguards of the Princess (who insisted upon riding out to the battlefield with the war mages to witness the war unfold). After Spellthorne was assassinated in August 5 AGY, Magnus Nivus took his place as leader of the Aeht Dom, and announced that Grevalon would aid the war effort against the orcs. 'Kingdom of Midrule '- Lord Admiral Holt was convinced of the damage a powerful foreign presence on Middle-Earth could pose, and was particularly defensive of the wealth created by its trade, which the Expedition would threaten. However, its strength lay in its powerful navy, which Holt himself commanded during the Second Earth War. Holt was known for his aggressiveness towards the orcs, having taught his children that they were blackblooded vermin who deserved nothing short of utter extermination. 'Kingdom of Avantia '- King Wenthelen, humbled by the semioccupation of his kingdom, agreed to put his trust in the League in the hope of recovering what he had lost. 'Kingdom of Phoenixgarde '- Regent Lord Spalding, a close friend of the Grevalonian Princess, was present during the founding of the League and committed the fallen Phoenixgarde to Highlaw the memory of the deceased King Ingmar Amaurri. 'Sherwood '- both the A'manu wood elves (Archdruidess Sylvena Verdana) and the southern human clans (High Chieftain Tobias Niall) supported the pact in defence of the planet's wildlife and elementals. 'Quel'thalas '- King Meridan Dawndancer chose to honour the friendship between high elves and humans, initiated by his great-grandfather Beuzen 4 millenia ago. 'Tinkerville '- Edson Madfuse and the innovative, technologically-advanced gnomes gave their all in the war effort, supplying siege weaponry and troop transport that bolstered allied ranks. They also invented the Trojan Horse. 'Ironforge '- both Lorcan Ironwill and Eridos Brighthammer pledged their people to the pact to prevent the orcs, who were now targeting Kha'Zad, from becoming stronger. They also showed solidarity with each other in the light of Druregar/Strongbow hostilities. 'Steelhammer orcs '- Kazzakh's disobedience to Deadeye, Vez'nan, Il'grogg and the Genesis Order/New Brotherhood didn't stop at avoiding the Blood Pact. He also helped to organise resistance efforts by the allies against occupation. Co-belligerents 'Kingdom of Atlantis - '''Queen Primarina did not officially align herself with the League, but the merfolk did share a common enemy with the orcs, particularly warlocks like Vez'nan who consulted with demons. Primarina was particularly anxious about Leviathan, whose nickars had previously been defeated by the first Mermaid Queen - Matriarch Tyrina - returning. '''The Mak/Hanzu '- the monkey Sun Emperor did his best to stay out of the conflict, but the island nation's Wild Gods were at work in the background. Trivia *This is analogous to the '''Alliance of Lordaeron '''in Warcraft. *The night elves, who were still reeling from the Moonfade Controversy, did not join the war. New Vigrith had its own fair share of problems with the forces of Princes of Hell still making problems near Nythsandr, or with goblins raiding the Midnight Glade. *The smurfs were scattered and Lo'Shin captured at this point. Category:Aeon of the Champion articles Category:Aeon of the Champion organisations Category:Organizations Category:Smurf Manian's articles